UNITED STATES: USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Fiscal Year 2019 H-1B Cap Petitions

January 29, 2019


Effective 28 January 2019, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed premium processing for all fiscal year (FY) 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Premium processing for FY 2019 H-1B cap petitions was suspended effective 2 April 2018, and the suspension was later extended and expanded.

Who is Affected?

  • Petitioners may now interfile requests for premium processing of H-1B cap petitions that were filed in April 2018 and are still pending.
  • Petitioners who have received Requests for Evidence (RFEs) on FY 2019 H-1B cap petitions may also submit premium processing requests when filing RFE responses.
  • Premium processing remains suspended for H-1B petitions requesting new employment, amendments to existing employment, or changes of employer. This suspension is projected to remain in effect until 19 February 2019.
  • Petitioners who are filing H-1B extension of status petitions with no material change to the job, as well as certain cap-exempt employers, may continue to request premium processing service

What is Premium Processing?

The premium processing service permits employers to request USCIS to adjudicate H-1B petitions within 15 calendar days by submitting Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service) and an additional filing fee of USD 1410. If USCIS does not take certain adjudicative action within the 15 calendar day processing time, USCIS refunds the petitioner’s premium processing service fee and continues with expedited processing of the petition.

Our Advice

Employers who may be affected are encouraged to contact their Newland Chase immigration specialist for further support.

For general advice and information on business travel and immigration to the US, please email us at [email protected]